Unusual Mw 7.0 Extensional Aegean Earthquake Related to African Slab Rollback and Formation of Extensional Plate Boundary in Anatolia 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiannan Meng ◽  
Ozan Sinoplu ◽  
Zhipeng Zhou ◽  
Bulent Tokay ◽  
Timothy Kusky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tectonic Setting ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Western Anatolia ◽  
Rift System ◽  
African Plate ◽  
Tectonic Processes ◽  
Slab Rollback ◽  
Earthquake Frequency ◽  
Pure Extension

<p><strong>A devastating M 7.0 earthquake on October 30, 2020, offshore Samos Island, Greece, was a consequence of the Aegean and Anatolian upper crust being pulled apart by north-south extensional stresses resulting from slab rollback, where the African plate is subducting northwards beneath Eurasia, while the slab is sinking by gravitational forces, causing it to retreat southwards. Since the retreating African slab is coupled with the overriding plate, it tears the upper plate apart as it retreats, breaking it into numerous small plates with frequent earthquakes along their boundaries.  The earthquake happened offshore of the extensional B</strong><strong>ü</strong><strong>y</strong><strong>ü</strong><strong>k Menderes Graben, where a 150 km long, 10 km wide, incipient upper plate rift system formed in the Anatolian plate, showing that the entire Aegean-Western Anatolian region is being pulled apart by extensional stresses related to the slab rollback. Earthquake solutions and fault plane studies around western Anatolia support this spectacular extension, and show that the modern extension was preceded on many faults by oblique extension and strike-slip motions, perhaps reflecting a change in tectonic setting from sideways escape from the Africa-Arabia collision with Eurasia,  to the pure extension related to slab rollback of the African plate, and the retreat of the Hellenic trench. Historical earthquake swarms and deformation of the upper plate in the Aegean have been associated with massive volcanism and cataclysmic devastation, such as the M 7.7 Amorgos earthquake in July 1956 between the islands of Naxos and Santorini (Thera). Even more notable was the eruption of Santorini 3650 years ago, which contributed to the fall of the Minoan civilization. The Samos earthquake highlights the long historical lack of appreciation of links between deep tectonic processes and upper crustal deformation and geological hazards, and is a harbinger of future earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, establishing a basis for studies to institute better protection of infrastructure and upper plate cultures in the region.</strong><strong> Further detailed studies are needed in this area to better understand and predict earthquake frequency, possible locations, and to establish better building codes to protect people's lives and property.</strong></p><p><strong><img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gepj.9a0ea6af400066213360161/sdaolpUECMynit/12UGE&app=m&a=0&c=672cb3d1887c66c27ef7b2ac01552f9d&ct=x&pn=gepj.elif&d=1" alt=""></strong></p>

scholarly journals Greece and Turkey Shaken by African tectonic retreat

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiannan Meng ◽  
Ozan Sinoplu ◽  
Zhipeng Zhou ◽  
Bulent Tokay ◽  
Timothy Kusky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Geological Hazards ◽  
Historical Earthquake ◽  
African Plate ◽  
Tectonic Plates ◽  
Gravitational Forces ◽  
Tectonic Processes ◽  
Slab Rollback

AbstractEarthquakes are a consequence of the motions of the planet’s tectonic plates, yet predicting when and where they may occur, and how to prepare remain some of the shortcomings of using scientific knowledge to protect human life. A devastating Mw 7.0 earthquake on October 30, 2020, offshore Samos Island, Greece was a consequence of the Aegean and Anatolian upper crust being pulled apart by north–south extensional stresses resulting from slab rollback, where the African plate is subducting northwards beneath Eurasia, while the slab is sinking by gravitational forces, causing it to retreat southwards. Since the retreating African slab is coupled with the overriding plate, it tears the upper plate apart as it retreats, breaking it into numerous small plates with frequent earthquakes along their boundaries. Historical earthquake swarms and deformation of the upper plate in the Aegean have been associated with massive volcanism and cataclysmic devastation, such as the Mw 7.7 Amorgos earthquake in July 1956 between the islands of Naxos and Santorini (Thera). Even more notable was the eruption of Santorini 3650 years ago, which contributed to the fall of the Minoan civilization. The Samos earthquake highlights the long historical lack of appreciation of links between deep tectonic processes and upper crustal deformation and geological hazards, and is a harbinger of future earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, establishing a basis for studies to institute better protection of infrastructure and upper plate cultures in the region.

scholarly journals New seismological data from the Calabrian arc reveal arc-orthogonal extension across the subduction zone

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiziana Sgroi ◽  
Alina Polonia ◽  
Graziella Barberi ◽  
Andrea Billi ◽  
Luca Gasperini
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Displacement ◽  
Tectonic Setting ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Tectonic Deformation ◽  
Accretionary Wedge ◽  
Tectonic Structures ◽  
Plate Convergence ◽  
Seismogenic Layer ◽  
Regional Tectonic

AbstractThe Calabrian Arc subduction-rollback system along the convergent Africa/Eurasia plate boundary is among the most active geological structures in the Mediterranean Sea. However, its seismogenic behaviour is largely unknown, mostly due to the lack of seismological observations. We studied low-to-moderate magnitude earthquakes recorded by the seismic network onshore, integrated by data from a seafloor observatory (NEMO-SN1), to compute a lithospheric velocity model for the western Ionian Sea, and relocate seismic events along major tectonic structures. Spatial changes in the depth distribution of earthquakes highlight a major lithospheric boundary constituted by the Ionian Fault, which separates two sectors where thickness of the seismogenic layer varies over 40 km. This regional tectonic boundary represents the eastern limit of a domain characterized by thinner lithosphere, arc-orthogonal extension, and transtensional tectonic deformation. Occurrence of a few thrust-type earthquakes in the accretionary wedge may suggest a locked subduction interface in a complex tectonic setting, which involves the interplay between arc-orthogonal extension and plate convergence. We finally note that distribution of earthquakes and associated extensional deformation in the Messina Straits region could be explained by right-lateral displacement along the Ionian Fault. This observation could shed new light on proposed mechanisms for the 1908 Messina earthquake.

Mesozoic Tectonic Setting of SE Sundaland After Magmatism and Suture Evidences in JS-1 Ridge Area

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Tectonic Setting ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Early Jurassic ◽  
The South ◽  
Magmatic Arc ◽  
Plate Convergence ◽  
Ridge Area ◽  
Cretaceous Subduction

Mesozoic plate convergence in SE Sundaland has been a source of debate for decades. A determination of plate convergence boundaries and timing have been explained in many publications, but not all boundaries were associated with magmatism. Through integration of both plate configurations and magmatic deposits, the basement can be accurately characterized over time and areal extents. This paper will discuss Cretaceous subductions and magmatic arc trends in SE Sundaland area with additional evidence found in JS-1 Ridge. At least three subduction trends are captured during the Mesozoic in the study area: 1) Early Jurassic – Early Cretaceous trend of Meratus, 2) Early Cretaceous trend of Bantimala and 3) Late Cretaceous trend in the southernmost study area. The Early Jurassic – Early Cretaceous subduction occurred along the South and East boundary of Sundaland (SW Borneo terrane) and passes through the Meratus area. The Early Cretaceous subduction occurred along South and East boundary of Sundaland (SW Borneo and Paternoster terranes) and pass through the Bantimala area. The Late Cretaceous subduction occurred along South and East boundary of Sundaland (SW Borneo, Paternoster and SE Java – South Sulawesi terranes), but is slightly shifted to the South approaching the Oligocene – Recent subduction zone. Magmatic arc trends can also be generally grouped into three periods, with each period corresponds to the subduction processes at the time. The first magmatic arc (Early Jurassic – Early Cretaceous) is present in core of SW Borneo terrane and partly produces the Schwaner Magmatism. The second Cretaceous magmatic arc (Early Cretaceous) trend is present in the SW Borneo terrane but is slightly shifted southeastward It is responsible for magmatism in North Java offshore, northern JS-1 Ridge and Meratus areas. The third magmatic arc trend is formed by Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks in Luk Ulo, the southern JS-1 Ridge and the eastern Makassar Strait areas. These all occur during the same time within the Cretaceous magmatic arc. Though a mélange rock sample has not been found in JS-1 Ridge area, there is evidence of an accretionary prism in the area as evidenced by the geometry observed on a new 3D seismic dataset. Based on the structural trend of Meratus (NNE-SSW) coupled with the regional plate boundary understanding, this suggests that both Meratus & JS-1 Ridge are part of the same suture zone between SW Borneo and Paternoster terranes. The gradual age transition observed in the JS-1 Ridge area suggests a southward shift of the magmatic arc during Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous times.

Upper-plate structural controls on the segmentation of the Kefalonia Fault (Ionian Sea, Greece)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Skourtsos ◽  
Haralambos Kranis ◽  
Spyridon Mavroulis ◽  
Efthimios Lekkas
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Source Parameters ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
African Plate ◽  
Plate Structure ◽  
The North ◽  
Macroseismic Effects ◽  
Spatio Temporal

<p>The NNE-SSW, right-lateral Kefalonia Transform Fault (KTF) marks the western termination of the subducting Hellenic slab, which is a part of the oceanic remnant of the African plate. The inception of the KTF, described as a STEP fault, is placed in the Pliocene. KTF is considered to be the most active earthquake source in the Eastern Mediterranean. During the last two decades, four significant earthquakes (M>6.0) have been associated with the KTF. These events are attributed to the reactivation of different segments of the KTF, which are (from North to South) the North Lefkada, South Lefkada, Fiskardo, Paliki and Zakynthos segments: the North Lefkada segment ruptured in the 2003 earthquake, the 2014 Kefalonia events are associated with the Paliki segment and the 2015 Lefkada earthquake with the South Lefkada (and possibly the Fiskardo) segments.</p><p>The upper plate structure in the islands of Lefkada and Kefalonia is characterized by the Ionian Unit, thrusted over the Paxi (or Pre-Apulian) Unit. The Ionian Thrust, which brings the Ionian over the Paxi Unit, is a main upper-plate NNW-SSE, NE-dipping structure. It runs through the island of Lefkada, to be mapped onshore again at the western coast of Ithaki and at SE Kefalonia. Two other major thrusts are mapped on this island: the Aenos thrust, which has a WNW-ESE strike at the southern part of the island and gradually curves towards NNW-SSE in the west and the Kalo Fault in the northern part. These Pliocene (and still active) structures developed during the late-most stages of thrusting in the Hellenides, strike obliquely to the KTF and appear to abut against it.</p><p>We suggest that these thrusts control not only the deformation within the upper plate, but also the earthquake segmentation of the KTF. This suggestion is corroborated by the spatio-temporal distribution and source parameters of the recent, well-documented earthquake events and by the macroseismic effects of these earthquakes. The abutment of the Ionian thrust against the KTF marks the southern termination of the Lefkada earthquake segment, which ruptured in the 2003 earthquake, while the Aenos, (or the Kalo) thrust mark the southern end of the Fiskardo segment. The spatial distribution of the Earthquake Environmental Effects related to the four significant events in the last 20 years displays a good correlation with our interpretation: most of the 2003 macroseismic effects are located in the northern part of Lefkada, which belongs to the upper block of the Ionian thrust; similarly, the effects of the 2014 earthquakes of Kefalonia are distributed mainly in the Paliki Peninsula and the southern part of the island that belong to the footwall of the Aenos thrust and the 2015 effects are found in SW Lefkada, which is part of the footwall of the Ionian thrust.</p><p>We suggest that correlation between upper-plate structure and plate boundary faulting can provide insights in the understanding of faulting pattern in convergent settings, therefore contributing to earthquake management plans.</p>

How does the Alpine belt end between Spain and Morocco ?

2002 ◽  
Vol 173 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Michard ◽  
Ahmed Chalouan ◽  
Hugues Feinberg ◽  
Bruno Goffé ◽  
Raymond Montigny
Keyword(s):  
Subduction Zone ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Late Eocene ◽  
African Plate ◽  
Northern Margin ◽  
Thrust Tectonics ◽  
Rif Belt ◽  
Transitional Crust ◽  
Roll Back

Abstract The Betic-Rif arcuate mountain belt (southern Spain, northern Morocco) has been interpreted as a symmetrical collisional orogen, partly collapsed through convective removal of its lithospheric mantle root, or else as resulting of the African plate subduction beneath Iberia, with further extension due either to slab break-off or to slab retreat. In both cases, the Betic-Rif orogen would show little continuity with the western Alps. However, it can be recognized in this belt a composite orocline which includes a deformed, exotic terrane, i.e. the Alboran Terrane, thrust through oceanic/transitional crust-floored units onto two distinct plates, i.e. the Iberian and African plates. During the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, the yet undeformed Alboran Terrane was part of a larger, Alkapeca microcontinent bounded by two arms of the Tethyan-African oceanic domain, alike the Sesia-Margna Austroalpine block further to the northeast. Blueschist- and eclogite-facies metamorphism affected the Alkapeka northern margin and adjacent oceanic crust during the Late Cretaceous-Eocene interval. This testifies the occurrence of a SE-dipping subduction zone which is regarded as the SW projection of the western Alps subduction zone. During the late Eocene-Oligocene, the Alkapeca-Iberia collision triggered back-thrust tectonics, then NW-dipping subduction of the African margin beneath the Alboran Terrane. This Maghrebian-Apenninic subduction resulted in the Mediterranean basin opening, and drifting of the deformed Alkapeca fragments through slab roll back process and back-arc extension, as reported in several publications. In the Gibraltar area, the western tip of the Apenninic-Maghrebian subduction merges with that of the Alpine-Betic subduction zone, and their Neogene roll back resulted in the Alboran Terrane collage astride the Azores-Gibraltar transpressive plate boundary. Therefore, the Betic-Rif belt appears as an asymmetrical, subduction/collision orogen formed through a protracted evolution straightfully related to the Alpine-Apenninic mountain building.

scholarly journals The two-stage Aegean extension, from localized to distributed, a result of slab rollback acceleration

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 1142-1157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Brun ◽  
Claudio Faccenna ◽  
Frédéric Gueydan ◽  
Dimitrios Sokoutis ◽  
Mélody Philippon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Ductile Deformation ◽  
Metamorphic Rocks ◽  
Western Anatolia ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
The North ◽  
Slab Rollback ◽  
Slab Tearing

Back-arc extension in the Aegean, which was driven by slab rollback since 45 Ma, is described here for the first time in two stages. From Middle Eocene to Middle Miocene, deformation was localized leading to (i) the exhumation of high-pressure metamorphic rocks to crustal depths, (ii) the exhumation of high-temperature metamorphic rocks in core complexes, and (iii) the deposition of sedimentary basins. Since Middle Miocene, extension distributed over the whole Aegean domain controlled the deposition of onshore and offshore Neogene sedimentary basins. We reconstructed this two-stage evolution in 3D and four steps at Aegean scale by using available ages of metamorphic and sedimentary processes, geometry, and kinematics of ductile deformation, paleomagnetic data, and available tomographic models. The restoration model shows that the rate of trench retreat was around 0.6 cm/year during the first 30 My and then accelerated up to 3.2 cm/year during the last 15 My. The sharp transition observed in the mode of extension, localized versus distributed, in Middle Miocene correlates with the acceleration of trench retreat and is likely a consequence of the Hellenic slab tearing documented by mantle tomography. The development of large dextral northeast–southwest strike-slip faults, since Middle Miocene, is illustrated by the 450 km long fault zone, offshore from Myrthes to Ikaria and onshore from Izmir to Balikeshir, in Western Anatolia. Therefore, the interaction between the Hellenic trench retreat and the westward displacement of Anatolia started in Middle Miocene, almost 10 Ma before the propagation of the North Anatolian Fault in the North Aegean.

No signal of a plume push force in Indo-Atlantic plate speeds before, during, or after Deccan plume arrival

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Eagles ◽  
Lucía Pérez Díaz ◽  
Karin Sigloch
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Plate Boundary ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
African Plate ◽  
Plate Motions ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
High Resolution Models ◽  
Spreading Rates

<p>Observations of the apparent links between plate speeds and the global distribution of plate boundary types have led to the suggestion that subduction may provide the largest component in the balance of torques maintaining plate motions. This would imply that plate speeds should not exceed the sinking rates of slabs into the upper mantle. Instances of this ‘speed limit’ having been broken may thus hint at the existence of driving mechanisms additional to those resulting from plate boundary forces. The arrival and emplacement of the Deccan-Réunion mantle plume beneath the Indian-African plate boundary in the 67-62 Ma period has been discussed in terms of one such additional driving mechanism, leading to the establishment of “plume-push” hypothesis, which in recent years has gained significant traction. We challenge the model-based observations that form the principal evidence in favour of plume-push: a late Cretaceous pulse of anticorrelating accelerations and decelerations in seafloor spreading rates around the African and Indian plates. Using existing and newly-calculated high-resolution models of plate motion, we instead document an increase in divergence rates at 67-64 Ma. Because of its ubiquity, we consider this increase to be the artefact of a timescale error affecting chrons 29-28. Corrected for this artefact, the evolution of plate speeds resembles a smooth continuation of pre-existing late Cretaceous trends, consistent with the idea that the arrival of the Réunion plume did not substantially affect the existing balance of plate boundary forces on the Indian and African plates. </p>

Eruptive frequency of the Bora-Baricha-Tullu Moye (BBTM) volcanic system in the Central Main Ethiopian Rift

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amdemichael Zafu Tadesse ◽  
Karen Fontijn ◽  
Abate Assen Melaku ◽  
Ermias Filfilu Gebru ◽  
Victoria Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Volcanic Field ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Explosive Eruptions ◽  
Ethiopian Rift ◽  
Rift System ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Volcanic System ◽  
Main Ethiopian Rift

<p>The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) is the northern portion of the East African Rift System and separates the Eastern and Western plateaus of Ethiopia. The recent volcanic and tectonic activity is largely focused within the rift basin along a 20 km wide zone on the rift floor. Large silicic volcanic complexes are aligned along this central rift axis but their eruptive histories are not well constrained.</p><p>The Bora-Baricha-Tullu Moye (BBTM) volcanic field is situated in the central Main Ethiopian Rift and has a different appearance than the other MER volcanic systems. The BBTM constitutes several late Quaternary edifices, the major ones are: Tullu Moye, Bora and Baricha. In addition, there are multiple smaller eruptive vents (e.g. Oda and Dima), cones, and domes across the ca. 20 X 20 km wide area. Currently, there is very little information on the frequency and magnitude of past volcanic eruptions. We present a new dataset of field observations, componentry, petrography, geochronology (<sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>39</sup>Ar), and glass major and trace element chemistry. The data are assessed as potential fingerprints to assign diagnostic features and correlate units across the area, and establish a tephrostratigraphic framework for the BBTM volcanic field.</p><p>Two large-volume and presumably caldera-forming eruptions are identified, the younger of which took place at 100 ka. The volcanic products exposed in the BBTM area show that the volcanic field has undergone at least 20 explosive eruptions since then. The post-caldera eruptions have comenditic (Tullu Moye) and pantelleretic (Bora and Baricha) magma compositions. Other smaller edifices such as Oda and Dima also erupted pantelleritic magmas, and only differ slightly in composition than tephra of Bora and Baricha. Tullu Moye had two distinct explosive eruptions that dispersed tephra up to 14 km away and on to the eastern plateau. Bora and Baricha together had at least 8 explosive eruptions. Their deposits can be distinguished by their light grey color and unique lithic components. Oda had 7 eruptions, the most recent of which generated a pyroclastic density current that travelled up to 10 km away from the vent. Dima experienced at least 3 eruptions, generating tephra with a bluish-grey colour.</p><p>This mapping and compositional analysis of the deposits from the BBTM in the MER indicates that the region has been more active in the last 100 ka than previously thought, which has implications for hazards assessments for the region.</p>

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